149th Kentucky Derby Betting
The 149th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 6th has two Todd Pletcher horses listed as the top two betting choices, as Forte is listed at morning-line odds of 3-1, while Tapit Trice is listed at 5-1. If you want to bet either of these horses before Saturday’s race, or any other Kentucky Derby horse, you can bet them right now. If you happen to like one of the two favorites, you can get better than the morning-line odds, as Forte is listed at +345 at BookMaker, while Tapit Trice is +706. Forte has won his last five races including last month’s Florida Derby. The favorite in the Kentucky Derby has won 35% of the time in Kentucky Derby history, but that doesn’t mean longshots can’t win, as Rich Strike shocked the world last year, winning at Kentucky Derby odds of 80-1. Tapit Trice drew post position No. 5 which has produced the most winners in Kentucky Derby history. Post time for the 2023 Kentucky Derby on Saturday on NBC is 6:57 p.m. Eastern Time.
Kentucky Derby Betting Lines
2023 Kentucky Derby At a Glance
Date: Saturday, May 6, 2023, 6:57 PM ET
Location: Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
Length: 1 1/4 miles ( 10 furlongs ), dirt track
Purse: Approximately $3 million
Kentucky Derby TV Coverage: NBC
2023 Kentucky Derby Odds at BookMaker
Forte +345
Tapit Trice +706
Angel of Empire +1016
Practical Move +1016
Derma Sotogake +1217
Kingsbarns +1417
Confidence Game +1618
Verifying +1618
Skinner +1819
Two Phils +1819
Mage +2306
Jaces Road +3261
Hit Show +3650
Disarm +4050
Rocket Can +4050
Reincarnate +4550
Raise Cain +5050
Lord Miles +6050
Continuar +6050
Sun Thunder +6050
2023 Kentucky Derby Field
(Post Position, Horse, Trainer, Jockey, Morning Line Odds)
1. Hit Show, Brad Cox, Manny Franco, 30-1
2. Verifying, Brad Cox, Tyler Gaffalione, 15-1
3. Two Phil’s, Larry Rivelli, Jareth Loveberry, 12-1
4. Confidence Game, Keith Desormeaux, James Graham, 20-1
5. Tapit Trice, Todd Pletcher, Luis Saez, 5-1
6. Kingsbarns, Todd Pletcher, Jose Ortiz, 12-1
7. Reincarnate, Tim Yakteen, John Velazquez, 50-1
8. Mage, Gustavo Delgado, Javier Castellano, 15-1
9. Skinner, John Shirreffs, Juan Hernandez, 20-1
10. Practical Move, Tim Yakteen, Ramon Vazquez, 10-1
11. Disarm, Steve Asmussen, Joel Rosario, 30-1
12 Jace’s Road, Brad Cox, Florent Geroux, 15-1
13. Sun Thunder, Kenny McPeek, Brian Hernandez Jr., 50-1
14. Angel of Empire, Brad Cox, Flavien Prat, 8-1
15. Forte, Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz Jr., 3-1
16. Raise Cain, Ben Colebrook, Gerardo Corrales, 50-1
17. Derma Sotogake, Hidetaka Otonashi, Christophe Lemaire, 10-1
18. Rocket Can, Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado, 30-1
19. Lord Miles, Saffie Joseph Jr., Paco Lopez, 30-1
20. Continuar, Yoshito Yahagi, Ryusei Sakai, 50-1
Forte was the juvenile male champion in 2022 after winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Gulfstream Park. He has looked strong this year with wins in the Fountain of Youth Stakes in March and the Florida Derby at Gulfstream on April 1. Tapit Trice made his stakes debut in the Group 3 Tampa Bay Derby in March and got a win. He then had a wide trip but beat Verifying by a neck in the Blue Grass. Angel of Empire had a dominating win in the Risen Star in February and then looked great in winning the Arkansas Derby in April.
Darkhorse contenders to win the Kentucky Derby include Derma Sotogake who is listed at 10-1. The Japanese horse won the UAE Derby in March and almost broke the track record. Practical Move is also listed at 10-1 and he is unbeaten and coming off a win in the Santa Anita Derby. Two Phil’s is also among the darkhorse contenders at odds of 12-1. The horse had a 101 Beyer in the Jeff Ruby Steaks in late March, so you have to at least pay attention to him. Kingsbarn is another Todd Pletcher horse and he is listed at 12-1. Verifying and Jace’s Road, two more Brad Cox horses are listed at 15-1 along with Mage who is trained by Gustavo Delgado.
Kentucky Derby Format
Typically, we see 20 horses qualify for the Derby with up to four alternates in case something happens. The qualification process is extensive with horses accumulating points over the course of their two- and three-year-old seasons. The horses with the most points earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby field as long as their connections choose to race them.
A maximum of 20 horses run in the Kentucky Derby each year, and for the most part, the slots are always filled. The horses that end up as the favorites to win the Kentucky Derby are the ones which win major Grade 1 races held in March and April. The only exception is the UAE Derby winner who almost always ends up being one of the longer shots on the board. To this day, no horse which won the UAE Derby has come anywhere near winning the Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky Derby Winners (2000)
| YEAR |
WINNER |
ODDS |
JOCKEY |
TRAINER |
TIME |
| 2022 |
Rich Strike |
80.00 |
Sonny Leon |
Eric Reed |
2:02.61 |
| 2021 |
Mandaloun |
26.00 |
Florent Geroux |
Brad Cox |
2:01.36 |
| 2020 |
Authentic |
8.40 |
John Velazquez |
Bob Baffert |
2:00.61 |
| 2019 |
Country House |
30.00 |
Flavien Prat |
Bill Mott |
2:03.93 |
| 2018 |
Justify |
2.90 |
Mike Smith |
Bob Baffert |
2:04.20 |
| 2017 |
Always Dreaming |
4.70 |
John Velazquez |
Todd Pletcher |
2:03.59 |
| 2016 |
Nyquist |
2.00 |
Mario Gutierrez |
Doug O'Neill |
2:01.31 |
| 2015 |
American Pharoah |
2.50 |
Victor Espinoza |
Bob Baffert |
2:03.02 |
| 2014 |
California Chrome |
2.50 |
Victor Espinoza |
Art Sherman |
2:03.66 |
| 2013 |
Orb |
5.00 |
Joel Rosario |
Shug McGaughey |
2:02.89 |
| 2012 |
I'll Have Another |
15.00 |
Mario Gutierrez |
Doug O'Neill |
2:01.83 |
| 2011 |
Animal Kingdom |
20.00 |
John Velazquez |
Graham Motion |
2:02.04 |
| 2010 |
Super Saver |
50.00 |
Calvin Borel |
Todd Pletcher |
2:04.45 |
| 2009 |
Mine That Bird |
8.00 |
Calvin Borel |
Bennie Woolley Jr. |
2:02.66 |
| 2008 |
Big Brown |
3.50 |
Kent Desormeaux |
Richard Dutrow |
2:01.82 |
| 2007 |
Street Sense |
4.50 |
Calvin Borel |
Carl Nafzger |
2:02.17 |
| 2006 |
Barbaro |
6.00 |
Edgar Prado |
Michael Matz |
2:01.36 |
| 2005 |
Giacomo |
50.30 |
Mike Smith |
John Shirreffs |
2:02.75 |
| 2004 |
Smarty Jones |
4.10 |
Stewart Elliott |
John Servis |
2:04.06 |
| 2003 |
Funny Cide |
12.80 |
Jose Santos |
Barclay Tagg |
2:01.19 |
| 2002 |
War Emblem |
20.50 |
Victor Espinoza |
Bob Baffert |
2:01.13 |
| 2001 |
Monarchos |
10.50 |
Jorge Chavez |
John Ward Jr. |
1:59.97 |
| 2000 |
Fusaichi Pegasus |
2.30 |
Kent Desormeaux |
Neil Drysdale |
2:01.00 |
Authentic upset Tiz the Law to win the 2020 Kentucky Derby with the fastest time in almost two decades. Monarchos finished the 2001 Kentucky Derby in 1:59.97, but no horse had finished the race with a time under 2:01 since that point.
Fastest Times
| YEAR |
HORSE |
TIME |
| 1973 |
Secretariat |
1:59.40 |
| 2001 |
Monarchos |
1:59.97 |
| 1964 |
Northern Dancer |
2:00.00 |
| 1985 |
Spend A Buck |
2:00.20 |
| 1962 |
Decidedly |
2:00.40 |
Running the Kentucky Derby in anything less than 2:01 is considered blazing fast. Secretariat has held the track record for nearly 50 years, running the 1973 Kentucky Debry in 1:59.40, and he is one of two horses to finish the race in under two minutes.
Longest Odds To Win
| YEAR |
HORSE |
TIME |
| 1913 |
Donerail |
91.45 |
| 2022 |
Rich Strike |
80 |
| 2005 |
Giacomo |
50.30 |
| 2010 |
Super Saver |
50 |
| 1940 |
Gallahadion |
35.20 |
| 1999 |
Charismatic |
31.30 |
Donerail had the longest odds of any horse that went on to win the Kentucky Derby, but Rich Strike gave him a run for his money in 2022. No one gave Rich Strike a chance to win the Run for the Roses as jockey Sonny Leon had not even won a graded stakes race prior to last May’s triumph. Additionally, Rich Strike was a late entrant and only made the field after Ethereal Road was scratched the day before the race. He started from the 20th post but went on to run one of the greatest races in the history of horse racing, picking his way through 14 horses in the last half-mile to beat Epicenter by ¾ of a length to win the Kentucky Derby.
Most Jockey Wins
| JOCKEY |
WINS |
YEARS WON |
| Eddie Arcaro |
5 |
1938, 1941, 1945, 1948, 1952 |
| Bill Hartack |
5 |
1957, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1969 |
| Bill Shoemaker |
4 |
1955, 1959, 1965, 1986 |
| Angel Cordero Jr. |
3 |
1974, 1976, 1985 |
| Calvin Borel |
3 |
2007, 2009, 2010 |
| Earl Sande |
3 |
1923, 1925, 1930 |
| Gary Stevens |
3 |
1988, 1995, 1997 |
| Isaac Murphy |
3 |
1894, 1890, 1891 |
| Kent Desormeaux |
3 |
1998, 2000, 2008 |
| Victor Espinoza |
3 |
2002, 2014, 2015 |
| John Velazquez |
3 |
2011, 2017, 2020 |
It's becoming tougher and tougher for modern jockeys to have success in a race like this one, but there are a few who really stand out. Calvin Borel has made a living out of winning the Kentucky Derby with late-charging horses who love running on the rail. Victor Espinoza won consecutive Derbies in 2014 and 2015 with California Chrome and American Pharoah. John Velazquez won three Kentucky Derby titles from 2011 to 2020.
Most Trainer Wins
| TRAINER |
WINS |
YEARS WON |
| Ben Jones |
6 |
1938, 1941, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1952 |
| Bob Baffert |
6 |
1997, 1998, 2002, 2015, 2018, 2020 |
| D. Wayne Lukas |
4 |
1988, 1995, 1996, 1999 |
| Herbert Thompson |
4 |
1921, 1926, 1932, 1933 |
If you thought it was tough to try to figure out which jockey was going to win the Kentucky Derby year in and year out, trying to pick the trainer is even harder. Of this list of four men who have won the Run for the Roses at least four times, only one is relatively modern in Bob Baffert. He has trained three recent winners with American Pharoah in 2015, Justify in 2018, and Authentic in 2020.
When Doug O'Neill won the race with Nyquist in 2016 that ended a stretch of 13 consecutive years in which a different trainer won the Kentucky Derby. O'Neill also trained I'll Have Another in 2012.
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